Democrats charge that Republicans do not heed the rise in the Hispanic population in setting adjusted dividing lines. Republicans express shock at such accusations.

Oddly enough, the GOP-engineered plan was intended to produce an excellent opportunity for a new Latin legislator by adding parts of Bexar County into Doggett's periphery.

Under the scheme, Bexar County Democrats would nominate a Hispanic challenger to knock off Doggett and his pesky liberal views.

One flaw in the ploy: Doggett prevailed with a comfortable margin. Can I validate my opinion of such skullduggery?

Well, lurking on the most distant parts of Lamar Smith's 10-county 21st Congressional District is a carved out portion of Travis County.

For the naïve still mystified, shouldn't Doggett be representing this section of Travis County, and Smith legislating for Doggett's segment of Bexar County?

Without partisanship, the county areas incorporated into swing District 23 represented by Pete Gallego of Alpine - some 350 miles west of San Antonio - and the solidly Democratic 28th District of Henry Cuellar of Laredo would return to Bexar County jurisdiction. Smith and Doggett would exchange their foreign domains.

Joaquin Castro would cede some of his northern territory of the 20th District to the re-whittled 21st, which would stay within Bexar County and pick up the 23rd District county portion. Castro would represent Cuellar's piece of Bexar County.

Gallego, in turn, would grab some of Smith's non-county populace. With recent growth in the Rio Grande Valley, there would be no problem for Cueller to acquire new constituents.

Republicans are not alone in seeking advantage. San Antonio City Council districts have boundaries that generally favor Democrats in seven of the ten seats.

Bexar County Commission districts give Democrats an edge in three of four zones. The county delegation in the Texas Legislature is predominantly Democratic.

In my calculation of fairness, the 20th Congressional District would remain a lock for Democrats, while the 21st District would strongly aide Republicans.

This more accurately represents how the county votes, with margins of less than 6 percent deciding intra-county races in most instances.

Democrats cook the books locally while being squashed statewide? Here's another example of bipartisan gerrymandering.

Some 30 years ago, Lamar Smith was a state representative…almost a lone voice in the wilderness for the GOP then.

While Texans had voted for Republican presidential, senatorial and gubernatorial candidates by now, their party allegiance was to the Democrats in order to select standard bearers in primary elections.

So the powerbrokers sought to eliminate Smith by pairing his rapidly expanding tract in the Northeast with that of District 120 now represented by Ruth Jones McClendon, an East Side Democratic stronghold.

Smith declined to contest the combined seat. Instead, he would successfully campaign for county commissioner in Precinct 3, and subsequently, for Congress.

Sometimes, the best laid plans are doomed to fail. And the feds are watching.

Former newsman and public relations executive Mike Collins lives in North Central San Antonio. He's a landlord for single-family homes in Bexar County and suburban Phoenix.